Iím an American working in South Korea. Iíve got some problems with my employer, and Iím thinking about going elsewhere. I just want to understand my options. In South Korea you get a work visa that lasts 1 year. One of the things that really irks me about South Korea is that if you want to quit your job and get another in SK, then you have to get a letter of release from your 1st employer in order to work legally or you have to leave the country and wait until your 1-year work visa expires before you can reenter. Well, as Iím sure you can imagine, there are a lot of employers that donít provide these letters of releases like they should, so the teacher either has to put up with his employerís b.s., try to fight the system legally, which is often futile, or pack his bags and leave the country. Is a letter of release required to change jobs in Indonesia? Can a teacher just quit a bad employer and start working for a better one? Do you have to leave the country? Basically what I'm asking is what happens if you find out that your employer is a scumbag and you want out? What are your options then?

Also, how common is it to work in Indonesia illegally? How much do you get fined if you get caught working illegally? How long do they prohibit you from reentering the country if you get caught working illegally? Thanks in advance for the help.

Is a letter of release required to change jobs in Indonesia? Can a teacher just quit a bad employer and start working for a better one? Do you have to leave the country?

Also, how common is it to work in Indonesia illegally? How much do you get fined if you get caught working illegally? How long do they prohibit you from reentering the country if you get caught working illegally? Thanks in advance for the help.

Your KITAS (legal resident paper) is good for only one employer. If you quit one school, you will have to fly to Singapore for a day and file for a new work visa. If you quit you have 30 days to leave the country (and renew your work visa). My understanding is that it isn't that big a deal.

I don't know much about illegal work in Indonesia, but I've never heard of anyone doing it because getting a work visa to teach isn't that hard. I believe the fine is something like $10-$20 US /day, and after two weeks overstay you can be jailed or barred from the country.

If you quit, your sponsor can cancell your KITAS as soon as they contact immigration. I am pretty sure you have 48 hours to leave Indonesia - not 30 days. Working illegally is pretty easy, but either you get a 30 day tourist visa (actually is only 29 days as the day yu arrive conts as 24 hours) or geta social or business visa which are 60 days and renewable every 30 days. the visas are not free and each time you must pay to renew.

the indonesian government looks at foreigners as potentially taking indonesian jobs, so it can be difficult working as you choose.
god luck

If you quit, your sponsor can cancell your KITAS as soon as they contact immigration. I am pretty sure you have 48 hours to leave Indonesia - not 30 days.

Hmm. When one of the teachers at my school was fired (and deservedly so), I was told by the school manager that once the KITAS was cancelled the employee would be treated like any visitor and would have 60 days to leave Indonesia.

However, the visa rules have changed so now visitors have only 30 days, not 60.

Sorry if these questions are a little dense. I just want to make sure I understand you guys exactly.

Chester wrote:

Quote:

Working illegally is pretty easy, but either you get a 30 day tourist visa (actually is only 29 days as the day you arrive counts as 24 hours) or get a social or business visa which are 60 days and renewable every 30 days. the visas are not free and each time you must pay to renew.

How much does it cost to renew a tourist visa, a social visa, and a business visa? And what is a social visa, by the way, and how do you get one? How would you go about getting a business visa?

ls650 wrote:

Quote:

If you quit one school, you will have to fly to Singapore for a day and file for a new work visa. If you quit you have 30 days to leave the country (and renew your work visa). My understanding is that it isn't that big a deal.

So let's say you quit your job and go to Singapore. Do you already have to have another job lined up in advance in order to get a new work visa and reenter the country, or can you get a new work visa without having a new employer who's sponsoring you and then enter the country and find an employer? That is, is a new work visa necessarily tied to a new employer?

Also, what about going to Singapore and then coming back into Indonesia on a tourist visa and then looking for an employer to sponsor your work visa. Is this possible? If so, then how common is it? Thanks again.

Do you already have to have another job lined up in advance in order to get a new work visa and reenter the country, or can you get a new work visa without having a new employer who's sponsoring you and then enter the country and find an employer? That is, is a new work visa necessarily tied to a new employer?

When I got my work visa I had to have a letter of sponsorship from the employer. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you would need such a letter from a new employer...

Well here we go again, tourist visas are 30 days for 30 us$ when you land (most western countries) and ARE NOT RENEWABLE!

If you leave your current job (for any reason)you can not work for anyone else, if the school so chouses, they can cancel your visa and you have 14 days to leave.

You can get a business visa but the cost will be more than a working one.

All work visas are for 1 year.

If you want short term go to Taiwan, get a mutable entry extendable visa from your home country and enjoy it. or a 30- 60 day from where you are, make sure it is extendable and you can study Chinese for 6 months, get itÖ